With a desire to get closer to nature, I bought some new equipment and headed off on a camping trip.
First stop was on the south bank of the Kok river, NE of Chiang Rai and west of Wiang Chiang Rung. It came up on the GPS as "Ancient ruins".
Prajao Gun Na is an ancient chedi that has been almost completely enveloped in a banyan tree.
Difficult to actually see any sign of the chedi, like it is slowly being eaten.
The bees are a sign of good luck and lucky themselves, as they are left in peace.
Then on to the first camp site at Waeng Khaew waterfall, in the northern tip of Lampang province, NW of Phayao.
I had fitted a pair of Givi panniers on the '59 Thunderbird to carry all the required kit.
This is a Hennessy Jungle Expedition Asym Zip hammock. A modern design with several patents.
A key feature is that it is sewn together asymmetrically, so that you lie in it at about 20 degrees off the axis of the hammock support lines. In theory this means that you can sleep almost flat. The rain tarp is also attached to the hammock support lines, making it pretty simple to sling and take down. The bug netting is integral and has a double full zip along one side, so you can use the hammock as a swinging chair too.
I had also purchased a lightweight, low volume Sea to Summit sleeping bag, bag liner and inflatable mattress, together with an Exped inflatable pillow. This kit packs up in surprisingly small bags.
Another purchase was a flat pack Petromax Hobo stove.
A great design that concentrates the heat and burns 4" long "logs". Made of stainless steel, it plugs together to form a miniature wood burning stove.
Wiang Khaew is a beautiful waterfall, not visited by tourists much, as it is out of the way. I was charged 30 Baht to stay the night in the park.
I saw a couple of locals when I arrived but no-one else camping at this time of year.
From the bottom, you see about half the waterfall. A trail takes you up to a halfway point and small pool for dipping, although too cold for me in March.
The upper cataract gets more difficult to access
So, then it was on to the nature trail.
The National Parks of Thailand are very well organised and they gave me brochure about the route
A great trail; open dry forest at the top and thick jungle near the bottom.
Plenty of wonderful old giants of the forest to admire
After breaking camp and heading south on highway 1, came upon a memorial, right next to the highway.
Captain Jensen was a military officer who came to Thailand to train the police and was killed in a fracas in 1902 at the age of 24.
Next campsite was west of Phrae, in the Suan Hin Maharat National Park and in amongst the rocks
This is the hammock packed in it's waterproof "snakeskins". This system keeps the hammock clean and off the ground when you are setting it up and taking it down.
This garden of rock giants is unusual due to their size. This could be "lion rock"
Then there was "elephant rock"
and "camel rock"
There was no charge for staying in this park. Heading NE, I went up to Khun Sathan National Park and the campsite at the top of the mountain.
March is a quiet time, so again, no-one around. A stunning location, but no proper views due to the hazy air.
No charge here either, to stay the night. It was cold and damn windy in the night so I had to get up and take the tarp down before it thrashed itself to bits. Decided the walk up the mountain can wait for another day when the air is clear. So, next day, moved on up through Nan and stopped at the Tham Sakoen National Park, halfway along the 1148.
This was a really fantastic spot and all to myself. Again, no charge to stay the night and use the bathrooms.
The nice thing about the hammock is that you can sling it almost anywhere. Don't need flat ground if a pair of trees are around... which they usually are in this country. But you can also pitch it on the ground if you want to, using heavy sticks or can tie an end to the bike.
I will be returning to this park, at a clearer time of year. What a view you would get. To get to this campsite, had to negotiate quite a steep rough stony dirt road, but no problem for the tough old Thunderbird.
The traditional enamel coffee pot and cup are fine, but a bit heavy, so will get an aluminium replacement sometime.
No shortage of dry wood at this time of year. Rainy season could be more challenging....
Sausage sandwiches for dinner, using this clever little Swedish firefork. Just a bit of twisted wire, that fits on a stick.
Another peaceful night was had in the forest
Next morning, it was off to look around
Checking the cave out was a must.
It's a good 400m hike up and the route is clearly marked.
Plenty of shade from the morning sun, so not difficult.
Bees nests. These forest bees don't sting and make honey in little tube nests.
Handrails are being put in.
After about 40 minutes, reached the cave.
Yep, it is pretty big. The main chanber is maybe 50m across inside and 30m deep.
There are a couple of vents that allow light in from the main rock face.
I had also purchased a new Fenix high power torch for this trip, which turned out to be most useful for exploring caves.
After scrambling around for an hour, I headed back down.
Some rope rails to assist the climb.
You can make out one of the vents above and left of the main entrance.
Next was the nature trail in this park. March is a great time of year for flowering trees and butterflies.
More giants of the forest. A very old dipterocarp.
This was a good 8" in diameter.
Then came to the "Golden Cave".
The light spots reflected in the quartz crystals appeared to be floating in space.
....... more to come.....
First stop was on the south bank of the Kok river, NE of Chiang Rai and west of Wiang Chiang Rung. It came up on the GPS as "Ancient ruins".
Prajao Gun Na is an ancient chedi that has been almost completely enveloped in a banyan tree.
Difficult to actually see any sign of the chedi, like it is slowly being eaten.
The bees are a sign of good luck and lucky themselves, as they are left in peace.
Then on to the first camp site at Waeng Khaew waterfall, in the northern tip of Lampang province, NW of Phayao.
I had fitted a pair of Givi panniers on the '59 Thunderbird to carry all the required kit.
This is a Hennessy Jungle Expedition Asym Zip hammock. A modern design with several patents.
A key feature is that it is sewn together asymmetrically, so that you lie in it at about 20 degrees off the axis of the hammock support lines. In theory this means that you can sleep almost flat. The rain tarp is also attached to the hammock support lines, making it pretty simple to sling and take down. The bug netting is integral and has a double full zip along one side, so you can use the hammock as a swinging chair too.
I had also purchased a lightweight, low volume Sea to Summit sleeping bag, bag liner and inflatable mattress, together with an Exped inflatable pillow. This kit packs up in surprisingly small bags.
Another purchase was a flat pack Petromax Hobo stove.
A great design that concentrates the heat and burns 4" long "logs". Made of stainless steel, it plugs together to form a miniature wood burning stove.
Wiang Khaew is a beautiful waterfall, not visited by tourists much, as it is out of the way. I was charged 30 Baht to stay the night in the park.
I saw a couple of locals when I arrived but no-one else camping at this time of year.
From the bottom, you see about half the waterfall. A trail takes you up to a halfway point and small pool for dipping, although too cold for me in March.
The upper cataract gets more difficult to access
So, then it was on to the nature trail.
The National Parks of Thailand are very well organised and they gave me brochure about the route
A great trail; open dry forest at the top and thick jungle near the bottom.
Plenty of wonderful old giants of the forest to admire
After breaking camp and heading south on highway 1, came upon a memorial, right next to the highway.
Captain Jensen was a military officer who came to Thailand to train the police and was killed in a fracas in 1902 at the age of 24.
Next campsite was west of Phrae, in the Suan Hin Maharat National Park and in amongst the rocks
This is the hammock packed in it's waterproof "snakeskins". This system keeps the hammock clean and off the ground when you are setting it up and taking it down.
This garden of rock giants is unusual due to their size. This could be "lion rock"
Then there was "elephant rock"
and "camel rock"
There was no charge for staying in this park. Heading NE, I went up to Khun Sathan National Park and the campsite at the top of the mountain.
March is a quiet time, so again, no-one around. A stunning location, but no proper views due to the hazy air.
No charge here either, to stay the night. It was cold and damn windy in the night so I had to get up and take the tarp down before it thrashed itself to bits. Decided the walk up the mountain can wait for another day when the air is clear. So, next day, moved on up through Nan and stopped at the Tham Sakoen National Park, halfway along the 1148.
This was a really fantastic spot and all to myself. Again, no charge to stay the night and use the bathrooms.
The nice thing about the hammock is that you can sling it almost anywhere. Don't need flat ground if a pair of trees are around... which they usually are in this country. But you can also pitch it on the ground if you want to, using heavy sticks or can tie an end to the bike.
I will be returning to this park, at a clearer time of year. What a view you would get. To get to this campsite, had to negotiate quite a steep rough stony dirt road, but no problem for the tough old Thunderbird.
The traditional enamel coffee pot and cup are fine, but a bit heavy, so will get an aluminium replacement sometime.
No shortage of dry wood at this time of year. Rainy season could be more challenging....
Sausage sandwiches for dinner, using this clever little Swedish firefork. Just a bit of twisted wire, that fits on a stick.
Another peaceful night was had in the forest
Next morning, it was off to look around
Checking the cave out was a must.
It's a good 400m hike up and the route is clearly marked.
Plenty of shade from the morning sun, so not difficult.
Bees nests. These forest bees don't sting and make honey in little tube nests.
Handrails are being put in.
After about 40 minutes, reached the cave.
Yep, it is pretty big. The main chanber is maybe 50m across inside and 30m deep.
There are a couple of vents that allow light in from the main rock face.
I had also purchased a new Fenix high power torch for this trip, which turned out to be most useful for exploring caves.
After scrambling around for an hour, I headed back down.
Some rope rails to assist the climb.
You can make out one of the vents above and left of the main entrance.
Next was the nature trail in this park. March is a great time of year for flowering trees and butterflies.
More giants of the forest. A very old dipterocarp.
This was a good 8" in diameter.
Then came to the "Golden Cave".
The light spots reflected in the quartz crystals appeared to be floating in space.
....... more to come.....